Type-writer cabinet.



PATENTED MAR. 5, 1907,. G. B. PERRY.

TYPE WRITER CABINET.

. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2a, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0. 846,243. PATENTED MAR. 5, 1907. I 0'. B. PERRY.

TYPE WRITER CABINET. APPLIOATIQN FILED JAN. 26, 1906.

CHARLES E. PERRY, OF HERKIMER, NEW YORK.

TYPE-WRITER CABINET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 5, 1907.

Applicati n filed January 26,1906. Serial Nn. 297.958.

.l 'o (LU whmn zit may concern;

Be it known that I, CHARLES B. PERRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Herkimer, in the county of Herkimer and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Type-Writer Cabinets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention consists in certainimprovements in type-writer cabinets, such as shown and described in Letters Patent No. 590,540, granted to Michael Foley, and dated September 21, 1897. As such cabinets have heretofore been constructed, it has been necessary to bevel or chamfer to a thin sharp edge the forward face or edge of the fixed rear strip or board of the top against which the rear edge of the swinging leaf abuts when in horizontal position. Such beveling has been obligatory in order to permit the rear edge of the leafto clear the front of said fixed board or strip in falling backward and downward. The thin edge such as heretofore used is very liable to be. broken or chipped by objects falling upon it or being caught between it and the leaf, and when marred or injured can be repaired only with difficulty, if at all.

Another method which is used is to leave the edges of both the fixed part and the movable part square, but leave space enough between them so that the edges will not touch or member forward far enough to clear and pass beneath it when sliding upon its links or levers. I have found that by properly positioning the pivot-points of the links or levers the swinging top can be caused to move forward in the initial part of its tilting or swinging movement sufficiently to drop its rear edge beneath and clear of an edge of considerable thickness on the fixed rear strip or board, and thus to accomplish without the slightest increase in cost or change in form or size of fittings the result desired and hitherto attained only at an increased cost and with attendant drawbacks.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

In them Figure 1 is a perspective view of the end portion of a cabinet embodying said invention, showing the leaf or swing top slightly lifted at the front; Fig. 2, a perspective view of part of the desk looking from the front; Figs. 3, 4, and 5, sectional views, respectively, showing the top in horizontal position, partly elevated, and in vertical position.

A indicates the body of the cabinet, having a flat top; B, a fixed board or section of the top, and C a movable leaf or top section which ordinarily occupies from one-third to one-half the space between the ends of the top and extends well toward the rear thereof. As shown in all of the figures, the forward edge of the fixed board or section of the top, though beveled or cut away somewhat at its lower corner, has nevertheless a considerable width of vertical or substantially vertical face, as shown at a, the width or thickness being suflicient to render it strong and enable it to withstand a quite heavy blow or pressure without breakage or injury. This edge has heretofore been brought to an acute angle, and injury has consequently been frequent and serious.

The leaf or movable top section C is carried at each side by a lever D and link E, arranged as shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5that is to say, lever D is pivotally connected with the under side of the leaf Cnear the rear thereof and extends thence downward toward the front of the cabinet at an angle of approximately forty-five degrees to its pivot or fulcrum b, whence it turns downward and extends a short distance in approximately vertical position, while link E has its rear or inward end pivotally attached at e to the side wall of the cabinet or a block H secured thereto and is thence carried forward and downward, its forward end being pivotally connected with a depending arm 0, carried by the leaf. This arm 0 may be a special fitting of metal, as here shown, hidden preferably by a skirt or front piece (1, secured to the lower side of the leaf, or the link may be pivotally attached to said skirt itself.

It is particularly to be noted that the outer or forward pivot j of link E is dropped materially below the horizontal plane or level of the inner pivot e thereof, and upon this arrangement of the pivots depends the result in view and attained by me. By thus lowering the forward end of the link lcause said end in rising to a level with the inner or rear pivot to move quite a distance forward, and in so doing to move the leaf C bodily forward, as will be seen upon noting the distance from IIC the vertical to the curved dotted line in Fig. 3 on the level of pivot 0 indicated by the horizontal dotted line.

In the act of lifting the forward edge of leaf 0 the leaf is moved bodily forward, as mentioned, and its rear edge is at the same time tipped or dropped downward below the lower angle of vertical face a of fixed strip or section B of the top. As soon as the leaf 0 is lifted sufficiently to carry pivot (1 above pivot 6 leaf C begins to move bodily backward, and its rear edge begins to drop more and more rapidly, leverD swinging upon and about its fulcrum or pivot 1) until by their conjoint action said lever D and link E carry the leaf to a vertical position, its upper face resting squarely against face a of top strip or section B and its rear edge resting upon a suitable support within. the cabinet. In the horizontal position the leaf or top section C is caused to bear closely and firmly against the edge or face a, making a very perfect joint which is scarcely observable.

A shelf F, carried upon bracket-arms g, pivoted to the vertical end or partition walls of the cabinet, occupies an inclined position within the cabinet and beneath leaf 0 when said leaf is in plane with the top of the cabinet, but is raised to horizontal position through the action of levers D, the short arms of which are connected by links G with the shelf or its supporting bracket-arm, as in the Foley patent before noted. The two positions of the shelf F are illustrated in Figs. 3 and 5.

I am aware that the Foley patent and others of later date show the link E inclined slightly downward toward the front of the cabinet, but such inclination was neither designed nor sufficient to give appreciable or useful forward movement to leaf C, as evidenced by the factthat the forward edge of section B of the top was represented in the several patents as beveled to an acute angle and that the cabinets have been so made under the Foley patent up to the present time.

The exceeding simplicity of the present in vention and its perfect attainment of the end in view are its chief merits.

If of only moderate thickness, the strip or section B need not be chamfered or beveled at all. It will also be understood that it is not essential that face a be absolutely vertical or perpendicular to the top surface of the desk or cabinet, but only that it be substantially so, or, in other words, that there be no thin edge liable to injury in the manner pointed out.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is- 1. In combination with a cabinet, a fixed top strip or section at the rear of the cabinet,

said fixed section having a substantially vertical face at its forward edge; a movable top section adapted to form an extension forward of said fixed section when in normal horizontal position; means for lowering said movable section'within the cabinet, consisting of a link D pivoted to the rear portion of the movable section and to the cabinet, and a link E pivoted to the cabinet at a point about midway between the front and rear edges of said movable section when in such horizontal position and extending downward and forward and pivoted to the movable section toward the front thereof, the inclination of the last-mentioned link being such as to cause a forward movement of the movable section when the same is lifted from its horizontal position. such that its rear edge will clear the vertical face of the fixed section as said movable section is lowered.

2. In combination with a cabinet, a fixed top strip or section at the rear of the cabinet, said fixed section having a substantially vertical face at its forward edge; a movable top section adapted to form an extension forward of said fixed section when in normal horizontal position; a shelf beneath the movable top section provided with bracket-arms pivotally attached to the cabinet; means for lowering the movable top section within the cabinet, consisting of a link pivoted to the rear portion of the movable section and to the cabinet, and having a short arm or extension beyond its pivot; a link pivoted to the cabinet at a point about midway between the front and rear edges of the movable top section when the latter is in normal horizontal position, said link extending downward and forward and pivoted to the movable section toward the front thereof, the inclination of the last-mentioned link being such as to cause a forward movement of the movable section when the same is lifted from its horizontal position, such that its rear edge will clear the vertical face of the fixed section as said movable section is lowered; and a third link connecting the short arm of the first-mentioned link with the lower shelf, substantially as described, whereby the lowering of the top section is caused to move the lower shelf from its normal inclined position to a substantially horizontal position and the return of the horizontal top section is caused to restore the shelf to its inclined position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' CHAS. B. PERRY.

Witnesses:

OSCAR R. WHITEHEAD, EMERY A. BAUER. 

